We're all bound to go

Traditional · The Shanty Book, Part I

1. Oh Johnny was a rover

And to-day he sails away.

Heave away, my Johnny,

Heave away-ay.

Oh Johnny was a rover

And to-day he sails away.

Heave away my bully boys,

We're all bound to go.

2. As I was walking out one day,

Down by the Albert Dock.

Heave away, &c.

I heard an emigrant Irish girl

Conversing with Tapscott.

Heave away, &c.

3. "Good mornin', Mister Tapscott, sir,"

"Good morn, my gel," sez he,

"It's have you got a Packet Ship

All bound for Amerikee?"

4. "Oh yes, I've got a Packet Ship,

I have got one or two.

I've got the Jenny Walker

And I've got the Kangeroo."

5. "I've got the Jenny Walker

And to-day she does set sail,

With five and fifty emigrants

And a thousand bags o' male."

6. Badluck to thim Irish sailor boys,

Bad luck to thim I say.

For they all got drunk, and broke into me bunk

And stole me clo'es away.

About We're all bound to go

"We're all bound to go" finds Traditional in a pop-minded frame, where a clear central idea and emotional directness carry the song. Its appeal comes from commitment to a single emotional temperature rather than from trying to impress through sheer scale. There is a welcome sense of proportion in the way the music presents itself: the hook has room to land, while the surrounding moments support it instead of competing for attention. Small changes in intensity keep the song moving and stop its main idea from becoming static, giving the performance a natural sense of flow. For listeners returning to Traditional, the song offers a compact example of how mood, pacing, and a recognizable point of view can meet in one place. The result is a focused piece of music that works in the moment but still has enough character to invite a return visit. The clarity of that approach is its own strength, because it lets the feeling come through without turning every moment into a dramatic demand. Even when it aims for immediacy, the track avoids feeling disposable because its atmosphere remains distinct after the final note. Its emotional center stays firmly in view throughout.